Paul Smith jailed for attacking partner in Whitstable

A violent bully shoved his partner’s four-year-old daughter to the ground before unleashing a brutal attack on the little girl’s long-suffering mum.

Paul Smith, 29, conned the youngster into opening the front door by pretending he had sweets, but instead pushed past her and punched his girlfriend into a semi-conscious state.

Her daughter, who suffered a cut to her face after falling against a dressing table, then watched as Smith held a knife to her mum’s throat and threatened to kill her.

Paul Smith. Picture: Kent Police

The victim pleaded with Smith to call an ambulance and eventually he did, but claimed she had been attacked by someone with a piece of wood.

Details of his horrific attack emerged as cowardly Smith, of Pier Avenue, Herne Bay, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court and admitted four assaults, two charges of criminal damage and one of intimidation.

Simon Taylor, prosecuting, said the victim and Smith were in a relationship.

She had a four-year-old daughter from a previous relationship and a younger child with Smith.

On June 9 they were in bed at her home in St Andrew’s Close, Whitstable, when the older child jumped on the bed and Smith reacted.

His partner said Smith's behaviour was unacceptable, causing him to fly into a rage.

“He grabbed his partner’s hair and pushed her to the floor,” Mr Taylor said.

"Smith went to the kitchen and got a knife and held it to her throat and said he would kill her" - prosecutor Simon Taylor

“Clumps of her hair were pulled out, all seen by the four-year-old.

"He smashed both her phones and said he was going to kill her in a calm and chilling voice.”

Ten days later, Smith and the victim went to the beach at Whitstable for the day with the children.

They went to the Smack pub and had two pints, but Smith became angry when his girlfriend bought more drinks and he threw them over her. She went home.

He turned up at her house and she would not let him in but her daughter opened the door after Smith said he had sweets for her.

“He started punching the victim and pushed the girl into her bedroom, which caused her to fall and hit her head,” Mr Taylor said.

“He would not let her mother go to her and carried on hitting his victim. She was semi-conscious at this stage.

“Smith went to the kitchen and got a knife and held it to her throat and said he would kill her.”

When the police arrived Smith said he had swallowed razor blades and he was taken to hospital and x-rayed, revealing he had not. While at the hospital he headbutted an alarm and in front of police told his victim not to even think of making a statement.

Smith had a number of previous convictions.

The case was heard at Canterbury Crown Court

Phil Rowley, defending, said Smith was full of remorse for the cut to the child’s face, which he said was a reckless rather than deliberate act.

He recognised that the relationship was over.

Judge Rupert Lowe said Smith had suffered a profound loss of temper.

“You punched your partner so many times she lost count,” he said.

“In your rage you pushed the child back and she fell and cut her face and you are rightly ashamed of this.”

Smith was jailed for two-and-a-half years and given a six-year restraining order.

Investigating officer detective constable, Terence Seager, said: "This is a case where Smith was at first dishonest with the facts, preparing an unlikely set of events in interview to make excuses for the victim's injuries.

"Thankfully Smith did later admit his wrong doing.

"A custodial sentence and a six-year restraining order will provide a level of punishment that is equal to the offence and a substantial layer of protection for the victim."